ried to
promenade the deck, only to find that the vessel's rolling rendered it
extremely difficult, if not well-nigh impossible. I accordingly made my
way to a sheltered spot, just abaft the saloon entrance, and, seating
myself on the skylight, endeavoured to collect my thoughts. It was a
more difficult matter than would at first be supposed, for the reason
that the side issues involved were so many, and also so important, and I
found myself being continually drawn from the main point at issue, which
was the question as to what was to become of Valerie and myself since we
found it impossible to escape from Pharos. How the latter had become
possessed of the secret of our intention to escape from him I could not
imagine, nor could I understand how he had been able to pursue and
capture us with such accuracy and despatch. As it had turned out, it was
just as well that he did follow us, and I shivered again as I thought of
what Valerie's fate might have been had he not come upon the scene so
opportunely. Of one thing I was quite convinced, in spite of the threats
he had used, and that was that, as soon as we reached England, I would
find some way--how I was to do so I did not for the moment quite
realise--of getting the woman I loved out of his clutches, this time for
good and all.

I breakfasted that morning alone. Valerie being still too ill to leave
her bunk, while Pharos, as usual, did not put in appearance until close
upon midday. By the time he did so the sea had lost much of its former
violence, and the vessel was, in consequence, making better progress.
How I longed to be in England no one can have any idea. The events of
the last few months, if they had done nothing else, had at least
deprived me of my taste for travel, and as for the land of Egypt, the
liking I had once entertained for that country had given place to a
hatred that was as vigorous as I had deemed the other sincere.

I have already said that it was midday before Pharos made his appearance
on deck; but when he did, so far as his amiability was concerned, he
would have been very much better below. Being accustomed by this time to
note the changes in his manner, it did not take me very long to see that
this was one of his bad days. For this reason I resolved to keep out of
his way as far as possible, but in my attempt I was only partly
successful.

"In thirty-eight hours, my friend," he said, when he had found me out,
"you will be in England once mo